Subaru Uncharted lands as Subaru Australia's smallest and most affordable electric SUV

Pricing and positioning in Australia

The Subaru Uncharted has arrived in Australian showrooms as the brand's third electric vehicle, and its smallest and most affordable to date. CarExpert reports the 2026 Uncharted AWD is priced at $59,990 before on-road costs, making it just $2000 cheaper than the base Solterra ($61,990 plus ORCs) and $4000 under the base Trailseeker ($63,990 plus ORCs). CarExpert's own vehicle listings show a drive-away figure of $65,107 based on a Sydney location, a different basis from the list price and one that varies between states and territories. ²³

Unlike the United States range, Australia receives a single highly equipped trim with all-wheel drive standard. CarExpert notes the gap to its Subaru EV siblings widens considerably at the more comparable top-spec 'Touring' grades of those models, and identifies the Kia EV3 GT-Line AWD ($66,490 plus ORCs), Volvo EX30 Cross Country ($62,990 plus ORCs) and Hyundai Kona Electric Premium N Line ($63,000 plus ORCs) as key rivals. The Toyota C-HR+, the Uncharted's closest technical twin, is not due in Australia until mid-2027 with local pricing unannounced. ³

Specifications and equipment

The Australian-market Uncharted AWD uses a dual-motor electric drivetrain with peak outputs of 252kW and 438Nm, drawing energy from a 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery supplied by CATL. According to CarExpert's specifications, Subaru Australia claims 0-100km/h in 5.0 seconds and 16.0kWh/100km energy consumption, with claimed WLTP range of 522km. Maximum AC charging is 22kW and DC fast charging is 150kW, rated at 10-80 per cent in 30 minutes. Braked towing capacity is 1500kg, tare mass is 2025kg, and vehicle-to-load output is available through a 1500W power outlet. In CarExpert's week of testing across highway, country and urban driving, consumption came in at 17.8kWh/100km. ³

CarExpert details a single trim with 20-inch alloy wheels, a 14.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, dual wireless phone chargers, heated front and reclining rear outboard seats, an 8-way power driver's seat with memory, a digital rear-view mirror and a power tailgate. The only options are a panoramic glass roof at $1200, or $2400 combined with two-tone paint. Dimensions stand at 4535mm long, 1870mm wide and 1625mm tall on a 2750mm wheelbase, with a 403-litre boot, no spare wheel and no front boot storage. ²³

Safety credentials come via a five-star ANCAP rating inherited from the closely related Toyota C-HR+, which was primarily based on Euro NCAP assessment of the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra with additional testing for the differing body styles. CarExpert lists segment scores of 88 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 80 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 82 per cent for safety assist, alongside eight airbags, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and an Emergency Driving Stop System. ³

How it drives

CarExpert's Max Davies, in a week-long loan vehicle, found the Uncharted delivers a genuinely sportier character than the Solterra and Trailseeker it shares underpinnings with. The suspension tune is described as far sharper than its siblings and impressively willing to carry speed through turns, with very good body control and no 'second bounce' after impacts, though the ride is deliberately firm. Steering is heavier than in its siblings, helped by a small-diameter squared-off wheel, and the car is easy to place on the road. ³

The review's main criticisms concern packaging and EV depth rather than dynamics. CarExpert found the second row cramped beneath a sloping roofline, described the 403-litre boot as compromised relative to the car's promise, and judged the overall EV capability 'merely adequate', citing comparatively high tested energy consumption. The reviewer also noted hesitant adaptive cruise control and lane-centring behaviour on bendier rural highways, a trait experienced in several other Toyota products, and the absence of a true one-pedal driving mode across Subaru's EV range. The outlet's summary verdict rates the Uncharted 'Very Good': a well-rounded car with undeniably sporty character that is cheaper than direct rivals but could be cheaper still. ³

A very different proposition in the United States

The Uncharted sold in the United States differs materially from the Australian car, and so does its commercial positioning. CarsDirect's April 2026 analysis reported the first US lease on the 2026 Uncharted Premium at $385 per month over 36 months with $2885 due at signing, based on an MSRP of $36,445 including destination, for an effective monthly cost of $465 — a figure CarsDirect deemed decent value but not the best Subaru EV lease, given the higher-MSRP Solterra leased more cheaply thanks to a stronger 58 per cent residual versus the Uncharted's 49 per cent. Critically, CarsDirect notes the US entry model is front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive requires stepping up to the Sport trim, $4800 dearer. ¹

Range is part of the US case, too. CarsDirect notes the front-drive Uncharted offers up to 308 miles on a single charge, dropping to 287 miles with all-wheel drive, while the Solterra is rated at 288 miles — meaning the dearer-to-lease Uncharted also carries a range advantage over its showroom sibling, at least in FWD form. ¹

By May 2026, Carscoops reported lease pricing had fallen further: in California, the Uncharted Premium could be leased for $345 per month with 10,000 miles a year and just $845 due at signing, an effective $368 monthly with the drive-off rolled in — $97 per month better than the earlier deal and $11 cheaper than the updated Solterra Premium. Carscoops reported this made the Uncharted cheaper to lease in some areas than a Crosstrek Hybrid, whose Los Angeles $339 per month figure carried a $3829 signing fee that pushed its effective cost to $445 per month, though a standard petrol Crosstrek still undercut it. Carscoops also cited New York pricing down 12 per cent to an effective $410 per month. That front-drive entry model pairs a single electric motor producing 221hp with the same 74.7kWh battery and the range-leading figure of up to 308 miles, against 338hp for the twin-motor AWD Sport and GT grades. Carscoops describes the Uncharted as Subaru's take on the all-electric Toyota C-HR. Neither US lease structure nor that front-drive variant applies to the single-trim AWD line-up sold in Australia. ⁴

Early sales context

Subaru's expanding EV line-up showed early momentum in the Australian market during 2026. CarExpert reports that after the first six months of the year, Solterra sales were up 289.3 per cent year-on-year on 471 deliveries, the Trailseeker posted 256 registrations in its first two months on sale, and the Uncharted recorded 83 deliveries in June alone. CarExpert notes, however, that the Uncharted still has considerable ground to make up against the segment-leading Kia EV3, which posted 821 sales in the same month, and frames the newcomer as worth watching as the year progresses. ³